This invention relates to apparatus and methods for support of a person or patient in a bed or other body support device. The new apparatus may have a generally rigid, semi-ridged or resilient bar support matrix on a base element that may have four side walls. There may be gas inflatable longitudinal gas tubes positioned in separation spaces between the bars, and there may be gas inflatable lateral gas tubes positioned over the bars and the longitudinal gas tubes.
A variety of beds and mattresses may be known for use by medical patients, immobile persons and persons needing cushion support; however, bed sores remain defiant and continue to develop and rest or sleep disorders are still a problem. Treatment of bed sores after they develop may be very difficult to treat and may fail to heal or may re-occur in many or a majority of cases. Various mattresses with inflatable cushions, chambers and tubes as well as sand blowing sacks, water beds and the like may be known. Mattresses that may have resilient support blocks on a platform surface may also be known. These mattresses may be very complex, difficult to use and clean and otherwise prove to be generally unusable by care givers and the general public. They may also not help users a majority of the time because they may not effectively remove pressure to a desired level and duration to inhibit skin and deep tissue damage or provide adequate cushioned support.